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Mantei will lead arts council

It will be her fifth year at the helm of the Estevan Arts Council, one of the city’s busiest cultural committees, and Wilma Mantei said there will be no slow down on the arts community front this fall and winter.

It will be her fifth year at the helm of the Estevan Arts Council, one of the city’s busiest cultural committees, and Wilma Mantei said there will be no slow down on the arts community front this fall and winter.

“We are a non-profit, so we look after our books carefully. We operated with a small surplus to show at the end of the fiscal year,” she said, following the council’s annual general meeting last week. “We work on donations, sponsorships and grants. In other words, other people’s money and we are accountable,” she said.

The committee members were saddened with the loss of a valuable and well-loved member of the community with the passing of Evelyn Johnson who had served on the council for 40 or more years. Mantei said it was only fitting that the top prize in the upcoming adjudicated art show will be named in her honour. The artistic works are lining up for the show that begins next month and will be adjudicated by Artist-in-Resident Diane Chisholm who is wrapping up her one-year contracted services in the city and surrounding area.

The arts council is also responsible for lining up and promoting Stars for Saskatchewan concerts as well as Koncerts for Kids, booked and managed through the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC), hosting 14 of those types of events during the past year.

The council arranges visual arts classes and events which Mantei said is “doing what we should be doing.”

The council has also hired a new office administrator with Melanie Memory coming aboard with the departure of Jocelyn Anderson who moved to Regina after serving in that role for the past two years.

“We’re happy to have Melanie join us, she has some bookkeeping and organizational talents to bring to the job. We end up keeping five sets of books, so we always need someone who knows something about the accounting angles,” said Mantei, adding that Memory’s job, which she took over on Aug. 15, is a part-time appointment, with her talents being split between the arts council and their office in the leisure centre from 8 a.m. to noon on weekdays and the Souris Valley Museum in the afternoons.

“We have a very active art room in the leisure centre and a good part of that comes from the Estevan Pottery Club that isn’t a member of the Estevan Arts Council, but are a welcomed addition. They pay a small fee for their space in the room and lend a vibrant element to our programming and the art community,” Mantei said.

While the council currently is missing a vice-president, Linda Jones will continue in her role as secretary and Greg Hoffort is aboard as the city council representative.

The council welcomed three new members into the fold at the AGM with Mark Venicziano, Victoria Utman and Allison Holzer being added to the roster. They join continuing members Deb Augey,  Esthern Bangsund, Nancy Samoluk, Stewart Miller, Linda Murphy and Melina Granberg. Miller is committee head for the Energy City Film Circuit which brings a series of first-run movies to the Orpheum Theatre on a regular schedule that carry additional artistic, cultural and community themes.

Granberg is heading up the Koncrts for Kids schedule this year.

The board members also learned that long-time member Marguerite Gallaway announced her retirement from the board after many years of service which included the leadership role in the actual formation of OSAC over 40 years ago.

“We trust Marguerite will still be around and available for consultation and advice though,” said Mantei, noting that while Gallaway may be missing from the regular meetings, her years of experience will continue to serve the board well in an advisory capacity.

“It was a good annual meeting with a lot of positive feedback and some excellent plans being made,” Mantei said in conclusion.